Posts tagged Public Safety
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We need more public restrooms in DC. But how do we make them usable for all?
DC is inching towards increasing its number of public restrooms with the passage of a 2018 law that would add two new facilities and incentivize business owners to open their bathrooms to the public. However, many public restroom designs aren’t accessible to many of their potential users. Keep reading…
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Indoor mold can be hazardous. DC tenants want help getting landlords to treat it.
Tenants across the District have expressed concern with the city’s inaction around mold in housing, which can spark or exacerbate a plethora of health issues. Amid unanswered reports and unaddressed mold complaints, eight professionals and community members testified at a joint public hearing on December 9 about the Indoor Mold Remediation Act of 2019, which aims to improve enforcement and remediation. Keep reading…
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Some DC tenants need to sue to get redress for mold. A new bill could change that.
If there’s mold in your rental home in DC, you may not get help without a fight. While landlords are supposed to get rid of mold when it’s spotted, some tenants have to take them to housing conditions court in order to get an inspection and treatment. Currently, city inspectors aren’t trained to spot mold and can’t fine landlords when they neglect to address it. Keep reading…
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Ask GGWash: How to make the roads safer where a crossing guard fought a MetroAccess driver?
A crossing guard allegedly stabbed a MetroAccess driver on November 13 near DC’s Langley Elementary School in Eckington. Now the PTA is asking, how can the area be safer? They have some ideas. What do you think? Keep reading…
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Many of DC’s playground surfaces contain lead. How dangerous is this, and what should be done?
There is lead — according to four DC agencies, reaching “actionable levels” — on the surfaces of at least 17 DC playgrounds. This, understandably, has alarmed many parents and residents already concerned about reports about lead on play surfaces that come from rubber. It’s unfortunately also difficult to find clear science telling us exactly how much of a danger this poses. Keep reading…
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Fairfax Board of Supervisors hopefuls Sperling and Herrity debate housing & transportation
In the Springfield district in southwestern Fairfax County, Democrat Linda Sperling hopes to beat the Board of Supervisors’ only incumbent Republican, Pat Herrity. The two squared off at a forum hosted by the Springfield District Council Monday night, where they showed clear differences on road expansion versus transit and on denser, multi-family housing. Keep reading…
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Here’s what you should do if you get into a bicycle crash
If you get into a bike crash, call 911. Try to get a police report, and note details about the officer making the report. Take photos. Also, avoid getting angry as best you can, and don’t downplay the potential severity of your injury. Keep reading…
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DC’s National Synagogue members have a long and dangerous road to worship
Every Friday around dusk, members of Ohev Sholom National Synagogue make their way on foot from their homes to their place of worship located on 16th Street between the Shepherd Park and Colonial Village neighborhoods. In observance of their religious beliefs, members do not drive or use electricity on Shabbat from Friday evenings through Saturday sundown. For the some members of Ohev, about 1,011 strong including many children and elderly people, the journey can be downright dangerous. Keep reading…
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These “road diets” would make streets safer and barely affect traffic. Why do people oppose them?
Recently, some local projects to calm traffic and increase safety for all road users have been met with a surprising amount of resistence. Worse, regional officials seem to be prioritizing voices of opposition over actual studies, and it’s keeping our communities unsafe. So what can these incidents tell us? Keep reading…
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An Eckington bikeshare debate goes off the trail(s)
The ANC 5E meeting on June 18 was a lesson in how ANCs can put one commissioner’s personal preferences ahead of the concerns and safety of the community. After nearly three and a half hours of meeting to discuss an agenda that was supposed to last two hours, the ANC shut down debate and voted to write a letter of opposition to a new bikeshare station. Keep reading…